Dr. Murray's trial/September 2011

Jury Selection Begins in Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial
BY HOWARD BREUER

Thursday September 08, 2011 03:30 PM EDT

More than two years after superstar Michael Jackson's death, a manslaughter trial for the singer's physician, Conrad Murray, officially began Thursday as attorneys screened the first of about 160 prospective jurors.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael E. Pastor introduced the jurors to Murray and asked whether they could serve on a trial lasting 25 court days – ending around Oct. 28. Opening statements are anticipated in late September.

When he asked the potential jurors, gathered in a jury assembly room, if there was anyone who had not heard anything about the case, no one raised a hand. Pastor expressed no surprise.

"We didn't expect you'd been living under a rock," he said, "or made a pit stop from Mars."

Murray, 58, is accused of over-sedating Jackson with the powerful anesthetic propofol and failing to notice that Jackson had stopped breathing for crucial minutes before finally calling 911.

Defense attorneys say Jackson drank propofol like milk, and suggest that someone other than Murray, perhaps Jackson himself, administered the fatal dose of the drug when Murray's back was turned.

Murray could get up to four years in prison if convicted of the felony charge of involuntary manslaughter.

Jurors who indicated they were available to serve received a questionnaire of about 30 pages asking them what they know about Murray and about Jackson's death at the age of 50 on June 25, 2009, and for their opinions about doctors, drugs and law enforcement.

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Sep 8 2011 2:48 PM EDT

Michael Jackson Manslaughter Trial Begins Jury Selection
Dr. Conrad Murray faces charges he administrated lethal dose of sedatives to Jackson.
By Gil Kaufman


It's been more than two years since Michael Jackson's death shocked the world on the eve of the pop icon's planned comeback tour. In the time since, the focus has turned to the King of Pop's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, who officials claim administered the lethal combination of sedatives that ended Jackson's life at age 50.

On Thursday (September , jury selection began in Los Angeles in Murray's manslaughter trial, which promises to grab headlines for the next month as prosecutors aim to pin the "Thriller" singer's death on a series of actions Murray allegedly took in the hours before Jackson's passing.

No cameras will be allowed inside the courtroom for the trial, which will begin as soon as 12 impartial jurors can be found, a task that will likely be challenging given the worldwide attention Jackson's death generated.

Jackson died on June 25, 2009, after suffering cardiac arrest at his rented Hollywood mansion. The Los Angeles County coroner's office ruled that the 50-year-old singer died of "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with the use of sedatives. Authorities have claimed that cardiologist Murray administered a lethal dose of the surgical anesthetic to chronic insomniac Jackson in an attempt to help him get to sleep. Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter last February in connection with Jackson's death and has pleaded not guilty in the case. The doctor is out on $75,000 bail and faces up to four years in prison and the revocation of his medical license if convicted.

After taking care of Jackson and the singer's children in his hometown of Las Vegas, Murray was hired by the pop star to be his personal physician in the lead-up to a series of 50 comeback shows at the O2 Arena in London dubbed This Is It. Murray was by Jackson's side the night he died and has admitted to administering several doses of propofol and other sedatives to his client, but his lawyers have said that the physician did not give the fatal push of medication.

Instead, they reportedly are planning to argue that Jackson — a chronic insomniac who was allegedly addicted to a deadly cocktail of strong sedatives in order to get rest — gave himself the final dose while Murray was out of the room.

According to a Reuters report, in the first three days of the oft-delayed trial more than 480 potential jurors will be brought through the court house. They will be given a 30-page, 117-question survey seeking their past experience with prescription drugs, doctors, celebrities, news outlets, law enforcement and queries about their DVD collections, according to NBC Los Angeles.

Among the questions on an earlier version of the questionnaire: "Have you ever considered yourself a fan of Michael Jackson or the Jackson family?," "Did you ever watch [the Jackson documentary] 'This Is It'?" and "What Internet sites or blogs, if any, do you visit on a regular basis?"

The pool will be cut down to 100 potential jurors who will return for more questioning later this month. The trial is expected to last five weeks, with opening arguments set for September 27.


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‎"All of the approximately 160 people who reported for potential jury duty in the Michael Jackson manslaughter trial Thursday indicated they had some knowledge of the case. ... "We didn't expect you'd been living under a rock for the past several years, or that you made a pit stop from Mars," Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said."

By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES | Fri Sep 9, 2011 2:48am IST

Jury selection starts in Michael Jackson doctor trial


By Alex Dobuzinskis
LOS ANGELES | Fri Sep 9, 2011 2:48am IST
(Reuters) - Attorneys in the manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's doctor began jury selection on Thursday, but absent from the courthouse was the media circus that hovered around previous Jackson proceedings.

Only a handful of television cameras and few fans of the "Thriller" singer were on hand in downtown Los Angeles to watch prosecutors and defense lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray begin the process of finding 12 people to decide if Murray is responsible for the Jackson's death by drug overdose.

Murray, flanked by his attorneys, sat in the jury room stone-faced and looking straight ahead. The 160 potential jurors were given questionnaires and told to describe any hardship they might face in a trial expected to last 25 days.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor asked if any of them were unfamiliar with the case. None raised a hand.

Pastor did not seem surprised that, even with such an unusually large jury pool, all the potential panelists knew at least some details of the death of one of the world's best-known pop stars, a member of the Jackson 5 and solo artist whose "Thriller" remains the best-selling album, ever.

"We didn't expect that you'd been living under a rock for the last few years, or that you had made a pit stop here from Mars," Pastor said.

At age 50, Jackson stopped breathing at his rented Los Angeles mansion on June 25, 2009, in what authorities say was an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and sedatives.

Murray was caring for Jackson at the time he died, and the doctor has admitted giving him propofol, a drug normally used for surgery, to help Jackson sleep. But Murray has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors claim Murray is responsible for Jackson's death by giving the singer the drug and not properly monitoring him, but defense attorneys are expected to say Jackson administered a fatal dose himself while Murray was out of the room.

RELATIVE CALM

While the trial was expected to generate a lot of publicity and lure numerous Jackson fans as did his past trial on child molestation charges, the Los Angeles courthouse was fairly quiet on Thursday.

A protester holding a sign that read "Justice for Michael Jackson" yelled at Murray's motorcade as the doctor arrived at the courthouse. Another man who described himself as a longtime friend of Murray stood with his own sign supporting the doctor and said Murray should not have been prosecuted for his medical treatment of Jackson.

In the first three days of Murray's trial, 480 potential jurors are expected to be brought in to the courthouse to fill out the questionnaire, court officials said.

Attorneys hope that group will be narrowed to 100 citizens who will return for further questioning later in the month, according to Los Angeles Superior Court officials.

Opening arguments are set begin on Sept. 27.

Marcellus McRae, a former federal prosecutor and an attorney with the firm of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher who is not involved in the case, said that given Murray was Jackson's personal physician, prosecutors will look for jurors who hold doctors to a high standard.

"The more emphasis people put on trust and responsibility and standard of care, if that's important to a juror, I think that's a good juror for the prosecution," McRae said.

Murray's attorneys will look for potential jurors who hold the opposite set of views about doctors, and expect a patient to demonstrate personal responsibility, he said.

In giving potential jurors instructions for the digital age, Pastor on Thursday advised them not to post anything about the case on Twitter or blog about it.

He also warned them they would not be allowed to negotiate any financial deal -- such as a book deal -- for information about the case until 90 days after the trial ends.

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160 Potential Jurors Screened for Conrad Murray Trial

(LA Times) – Jury selection is underway in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom for the involuntary manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson’s personal physician.


About 160 potential jurors were being screened for hardship to serve on the trial for Dr. Conrad Murray, which is expected to last for five or six weeks.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor on Thursday cautioned members of the public, one of whom showed up wearing a T-shirt with the pop star’s image, to refrain from expressing their feelings about the case in the presence of jurors.
“Don’t react or in any way attempt to influence the jury in this case,” he said.
An appellate court on Wednesday affirmed Pastor’s decision not to sequester the jury. Pastor said round-the-clock isolation was unnecessary, prohibitively expensive and stressful for jurors. He said he had faith in jurors’ ability to follow instructions about avoiding media coverage.


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Search resumes for Jackson manslaughter case jury

By ANTHONY McCARTNEY AP Entertainment Writer
Posted: 09/09/2011 04:10:42 AM EDT



FILE - In this Jan. 25, 2011 file photo, Dr. Conrad Murray, singer Michael Jackson's personal physician, appears in Los Angeles Superior Court where Murray pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the pop star's 2009 death. Murray, charged in Michael Jackson s death returns to court Thursday Sept. 8, 2011 to meet the first batch of potential jurors who may eventually decide whether to convict him of involuntary manslaughter. ((AP Photo/Irfan Khan, file))
LOS ANGELES—The search for jurors in the trial of the doctor charged in Michael Jackson's death enters a second day Friday with signs of the case's notoriety already evident.
If Thursday's session is any indication, the group will know exactly why they have been summoned by the time a judge, prosecutors, and Dr. Conrad Murray and his attorneys enter a jury assembly room.
All of the 187 prospective jurors who reported on Thursday raised their hands when Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor asked whether they knew anything about the involuntary manslaughter case against Murray. By the afternoon, more than half had been dismissed because they could not devote the amount of time needed to hear the case, which will focus on the Houston-based cardiologist's actions in the final hours of Jackson's life.
On Friday, court officials will question a new group of dozens of potential jurors about their availability to serve on the involuntary manslaughter case, which is expected to last roughly five weeks.
Authorities contend Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of the anesthetic propofol in the bedroom of the singer's rented mansion, but the physician has denied any wrongdoing. If convicted he faces a sentence ranging from probation to four years in prison and would lose his medical license.
So far, 72 people have filled out a 30-page questionnaire that will be used to determine their knowledge and opinions about the case. Pastor is hoping to have a pool of 100 jurors who aren't disqualified because of their answers.
The judge gave potential jurors a flavor of what their life will be like if they are picked to serve on the case, telling them he opted against sequestering them but that they would have to meet at a secret location each day and will kept out of public areas of the courthouse. He also warned they would have to refrain from reading about the case and altering their online habits.
"I certainly realize that for some of us, especially those who have grown up in the Internet age, searching the Internet is as easy as breathing," Pastor said. "If you want to Google, Google away. Surf the Net, but not about anything to do with this case."

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Judge warns Jackson jury prospects about Web use

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011
BY LINDA DEUTSCH

LOS ANGELES — A judge lectured a panel of prospective jurors Friday on their duty to insulate themselves from information about the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor and told them if they can't promise to avoid Internet sites dealing with the case they will be dismissed.

AP FILE PHOTO
In this Jan. 25, 2011 file photo, Dr. Conrad Murray, singer Michael Jackson's personal physician, appears in Los Angeles Superior Court where Murray pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the pop star's 2009 death.
"The electronic age is upon us," said Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor, "and there are numerous mechanical devices for obtaining information."

He reiterated concerns that the final jury chosen for the involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray will be unable to resist the lure of the Web.

"Some of us can't avoid sharing our thoughts with a quarter of a million people every day," he said in a reference to social networking. "We trust them ... but we don't know what their agenda is."

Pastor also stressed the patriotic duty of jury service. And he had everyone rise and face the flag for a moment of silence in observance of the upcoming 9/11 anniversary.

Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in Jackson's death from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol on June 25, 2009. Murray has pleaded not guilty. He could face four years in prison and the loss of his medical license if convicted. The trial, expected to last about five-weeks, will focus on the Houston-based cardiologist's actions in the final hours of Jackson's life.

For much of his 40-minute speech to the jury pool, Pastor hammered away at the need to stay away from outside information about the trial. He mentioned Internet blogs, radio talk shows, TV, newspapers, magazines or even conversations with friends.

As on the first day of jury selection Thursday, not one person in Friday's group of about 140 prospects raised a hand when asked if they didn't know about the case. A few laughed lightly at the question.

Pastor told the panel he was doing a favor for the final jury by not sequestering them.

"I don't want to treat you like prisoners," he said. "I don't think it's healthy for you. It brings in an element of stress and anxiety that's not good for you."

In return, he said, they must voluntarily alter their lifestyles to avoid input about the case from outside the courtroom.

"Jurors are required to exercise discipline and restraint," he said. "The parties in this case are depending on your integrity."

Outside their presence, Pastor told lawyers he expected to have cleared about 100 prospective jurors to form a complete pool by the end of the day. More than half of the 187 people who reported for jury duty Thursday were dismissed because they could not devote the amount of time needed to hear the case.

In-person questioning of jurors will begin on Sept. 23. By then, some of those who filled out questionnaires will have been dismissed if they expressed extreme bias in writing.




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Jermaine Jackson fears his brother Michael will be portrayed as “the most horrible person” during the trial into his death.

By Cover Media on 10/09/2011

The singer died of acute Propofol intoxication in June 2009. His personal physician Dr. Conrad Murray has been charged with his involuntary manslaughter, which he denies.
Murray is standing trial, and the process of selecting jury members started earlier this week.
Jermaine claims the defence team will try to portray Michael as a drug addict who administered his own medication, but he insists the star was happy with his life.
“I think what they’re going to do is paint him up to be the most horrible person,” Jermaine said in an interview with British newspaper The Times. “We all know that Michael was on prescription painkillers for his excruciating pain and had prescription drugs to sleep, but that doesn’t equal ‘drug addict’. A drug addict takes drugs for recreational uses. A drug addict is not trustworthy. A drug addict is a person who is irresponsible, a person who just doesn’t care. Michael was responsible.
“I just think that if, from cross-examination, everything is brought out, if they find these tapes that the police lost, and then it will go beyond just Murray. Because I don’t think he was courageous enough to do this by himself.”
Jermaine has also dismissed reports that Michael was suicidal.
There is speculation he felt under extreme pressure to prepare for a comeback tour in London and was weak and underweight. However, Jermaine is adamant that Michael would never take his own life because he loved his three children.
“That’s not going to work. You know why? Because Michael loved life. He loved life too much. He was the type that saw life in a bug, an ant, a fly. He wouldn’t even kill a fly, he’d let it out. So, why would he take his own life?” he explained. “He loved his children. He was always wanting them to be good human beings. He cared. He wouldn’t leave them. No, not at all.”
Jermaine also lashed out at the concert promoters AEG. He claims the company were only interested in making money from Michael and overlooked his health and wellbeing.
“This whole thing was designed around greed, power and money,” he fumed. “They expected to push him off a cliff and he would fly, but he couldn’t fly. He fell.”
Jermaine continues to grieve following the loss of his younger brother. He is currently promoting his new book You Are Not Alone: Michael Through a Brother’s Eyes, which offers a revealing account into the lives of the Jackson family.
Jermaine says they will never get over Michael’s death, and claims his sibling’s life was controlled by a host of external factors.
“It was tragic, designed by others, not by him. Not by his actions, but it was,” he said of Michael’s life. “I lost a brother, my little brother, and my mother lost a son, and so did my father. We have not been the same since his passing. We’ll never be the same. It has nothing to do with being on stage. We are family and now the family is broken.”

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CONRAD MURRAY TRIAL
Key Witness Has VANISHED

9/15/2011 11:45 AM PDT BY TMZ STAFF

Bizarre -- a pharmacist who testified he shipped MASSIVE amounts of Propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray in the weeks leading to Michael Jackson's death has disappeared without a trace, prosecutors claim.

According to prosecutors, Tim Lopez -- a former pharmacist at Applied Pharmacy Services in Las Vegas -- has mysteriously moved to Thailand and cannot be found.

Prosecutors now want a judge to let them use Lopez' previous testimony from the preliminary hearing in January -- when he claimed Dr. Murray ordered several large quantities of Propofol, beginning on April 6, 2009.

Two hearings have been set for next week to decide if the testimony will be permitted.



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Key witness against Michael Jackson's doctor is missing
By Alan Duke, CNN
September 16, 2011 -- Updated 0940 GMT (1740 HKT)

Los Angeles (CNN) -- A man who testified earlier that he shipped large amounts of the surgical anesthetic propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray in the weeks before Michael Jackson's death apparently moved out of the United States and cannot be located for this month's trial, prosecutors told the judge Thursday.
The coroner ruled that Jackson died on June 25, 2009, as the result of an overdose of propofol combined with other drugs.
The judge scheduled two additional hearings for next week to decide if the prosecution can use the missing witness' previous testimony and to get a head start on the last phase of jury selection in the involuntary manslaughter trial of the pop star's doctor.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor said the hearings will help keep Murray's trial on track for face-to-face questioning of potential jurors September 23.
Prosecutors want to use the previous testimony of Tim Lopez, given at Murray's preliminary hearing last January, because they've been unable to contact him since he moved to Thailand. Pastor said prosecutors must show Monday that they have done everything possible to reach Lopez.
Lopez, the owner of a wholesale pharmacy in Las Vegas, testified that he shipped a total of 15 liters of propofol to Murray in the three months before Jackson's death.
A hearing Monday morning will also consider the prosecution's request to exclude the testimony of Jackson's makeup artist. The defense wants Karen Faye to repeat statements given in interviews about what she described as Jackson's ill health in the weeks before his death, as he was rehearsing for his comeback concerts.
The prosecution told the judge in a hearing Thursday that much of what Faye has said in the past is based on what she heard others say, not her own recollections.
The judge will also consider if the defense can call a Texas medical examiner to testify about his inspection of the Los Angeles County coroner's facilities and practices. Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney David Walgren said Thursday that the man's testimony is not relevant to the Murray case.
The judge again raised questions about the prosecution's plan to present testing done on university students in Chile who voluntarily swallowed propofol, the drug the coroner said was partly responsible for Jackson's death. They must overcome defense objections that the study was never published or reviewed by other scientists.
The prosecution wants to argue that the experiments disprove the defense theory that Jackson died after he drank the drug, not from an injection given by Dr. Murray.
Pastor also scheduled a hearing for next Wednesday afternoon to begin the process of deciding which potential jurors should be dismissed "for cause." Both sides will be able to challenge jurors based on their answers given to 113 questions posed to them in writing last week.
Defense lawyer Nareg Gourjian said he received the defense copy of the 30-page questionnaire responses only Wednesday. Lawyers for both sides have only until next week to study the 145 jurors' answers to determine if the potential jurors can put aside biases and what they've heard about the singer's death to reach a fair verdict.
Lawyers will question them about their answers when they return to court September 23. The attorneys are seeking 18 Los Angeles County residents qualified to sit in judgment of Murray.
Prosecutors contend Murray, who served as Jackson's personal and full-time physician at the time, used a makeshift IV drip to administer propofol intended to help Jackson sleep, a practice they argue violated standards of care and led to the pop icon's death.
If convicted on the involuntary manslaughter charge, Murray could face up to four years in prison.
Opening statements for the trial, which will be televised, are scheduled for September 27. The judge told the jury pool he expects their service will be over on or about October 28.



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Missing Conrad Murray Trial Witness Found, Will Testify

Updated: Monday, 19 Sep 2011, 1:05 PM PDT
Published : Monday, 19 Sep 2011, 1:05 PM PDT

Los Angeles - A "missing" key witness in the pending manslaughter trial for Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician accused of causing Michael Jackson's death, has been found and will testify in the case, according to prosecutors.
Last week , it was revealed that Tim Lopez, the pharmacist who said at a preliminary hearing that he'd gotten massive amount of propofol to Dr. Conrad Murray via Murray's girlfriend, had gone to Thailand.
Prosecutors were set to ask Judge Michael Pastot whether they could use that testimony in the actual trial, but instead revealed that he will be present to testify.
FOX 11's Hal Eisner got reaction to the revelation from legal analysts Michael Kraut and Anthony Falangetti.

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Anthony verdict could be bad news for Michael Jackson trial

Posted: Sep 20, 2011 12:50 AM
Updated: Sep 20, 2011 5:02 PM


Dr. Conrad Murray is on trial for involuntary manslaughter following the death of entertainer Michael Jackson. His attorneys may have a harder time proving him innocent as a result of residual anger over the acquittal of Casey Anthony. (Source: CNN)

LOS ANGELES (CNN) - In the wake of the Casey Anthony verdict, lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial are gearing up for a battle.

The public outrage that seized the country after Anthony was declared not guilty may fuel jurors to be harsher on defendants, a trend that was seen after the last major upset in courtroom history - the acquittal of O.J. Simpson.

"Jurors that paid attention to that case on some level want to go into courtrooms and do justice," said defense attorney Michael Cardoza. "In other words, they are going to convict the next person that comes in."

Murray is facing charges of involuntary manslaughter for allegedly causing the death of Michael Jackson. Lawyers will question potential jurors Friday for the trial, which will be held in Los Angeles.

On the jury selection questionnaire, potential jurors were asked if they followed the Anthony case.

"The ones who have strong feelings about Casey Anthony are not going to be good defense jurors," said defense attorney Shepard Kopp. "If you can identify who those people are, you have a much better chance of seating a fair jury."

Even though their initial request was denied, Murray's lawyers still want the jury sequestered. They argue that media coverage could keep the doctor from getting a fair trial.

"It may be that jurors may walk into these high profile cases think, 'I better be careful; I better be leaning towards conviction rather than acquittal, otherwise an entire country will be out there with their pitch forks after me," said Marcia Clark, a former prosecutor.

Jurors are expected to be in place by the end of the week.


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'Conrad Murray claimed Michael Jackson was fine as he lay dead', reveals paramedic who will testify against the doctor
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER

Last updated at 1:57 AM on 20th September 2011

Shocking: Dr Conrad Murray's defence team will claim Michael Jackson drank the intravenous drug Propofol
A paramedic who was part of the first response team called to Michael Jackson's house on the day of his death is claiming that Conrad Murray said the star 'was fine' as he lay dead.
According to legal documents filed with the Los Angeles Superior Court, as part of the impending trial, Richard Senneff, the 911 responder, said that Conrad Murray told him: 'He doesn't have a problem, he is fine.'
'He was practising all night. I’m just treating him for dehydration.'
Senneff, in his statement, then said that he asked the Doctor about any drugs he had been taking and Murray responded: 'No, he is not taking anything.'
But shortly after he changed his mind and admitted he had given him the anti-anxiety drug lorazepam 'to help him sleep'.
The paramedic also claimed he later saw the doctor removing bottles from the room where Michael died.
Dr Conrad Murray's manslaughter trial is expected to get under way later this month.
But if a controversial new claim is to believed, prosecutors may have their work cut out in order to prove he is responsible for Michael Jackson's death.
According to a new report, the King Of Pop had become so addicted to the intravenous anaesthetic Propofol, that he drank it moments before his death.
The defence team for Dr Murray, 58, who was Jackson's personal physician, will make the disturbing claim during his televised trial, the UK's Daily Mirror reports.
The Mirror says that an autopsy report confirmed that he had the injectable sedative, which he called his 'milk', inside of his stomach hours after he died.

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miércoles, septiembre 21, 2011

Defense says Michael Jackson is incapable of performing 50” This is it” concerts

On June 2009 just week before his death Michael Jackson who is one of the world famous singers has announced at the press conference in London that he has planned to perform ten live concerts.

Lawyers for the doctor who has charged in the death of Michael Jackson has planned to show jurors in the trial footage of a news conference in which the singer has told during his “this is it” concert he will be performing only 10 shows.

Attorney’s said in the Superior court of Los Angeles that he want to show the recording of Jackson in which he has told that he was not able to perform 50 shows for which he has agreed before, to announce about his tour; on 5th of March in the year 2009 he appeared in London at the 02 Arena. The document filed by the defense says that he informed the crowd at the press conference that he will be doing 10 shows and that performance will be the final show for him.

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Conrad Murray lawyers review jurors' bias

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- With less than a week to go from opening statements in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, both sides were back in court on Wednesday to dismiss jurors who may be biased based on questionnaires.

Murray is accused of negligence in Michael Jackson's 2009 death from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol and other sedatives. The Houston-based cardiologist has pleaded not guilty.

Murray's defense team alleges Jackson knew his physical limits, and part of the evidence proposed is video of Jackson speaking during a news conference about his "This Is It" concert run.

Jackson said he was doing 10 concerts, but later promoters demanded 50 - a schedule that the pop star said was too much.

The defense alleges Jackson, under pressure to sleep and recuperate between demanding rehearsals, swallowed propofol when Murray was not looking.

Judge Michael Pastor says he will rule later on whether the tape can be used.

In the meantime, attorneys from both sides are reviewing hundreds of jury questionnaires, looking for signs of extreme bias.

"This case is going to be won or lost through jury selection," said lawyer Mark Geragos.

Geragos has been through the process before on multiple high-profile cases, and once defended Jackson on molestation charges.

This case, he says, is somewhat "topsy turvey." Typically, the defense wants people with less schooling, but in a case involving a doctor and tedious medical details, they want more education, Geragos said.

"You want people who are more rational. You want people who aren't going to be carried away or swept away with emotion," he said.

The challenge for prosecutors is that people who strictly support law and order often see doctors as heroes.

"Jurors are loathe, normally, to do anything in terms of convicting a doctor. That's the prosecution's big hurdle," Geragos said.

And the biggest challenge for both both sides is identifying stealth jurors - the people who seek fame by sitting on this case, and have their mind already made up.

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MJ Fans
Shut Up or Beat It!


Some Michael Jackson fans who want to see their brand of justice meted out against Dr. Conrad Murray just got a stern warning from the judge's staff -- they'll be thrown out of court if they don't shape up.

Dr. Murray was in court today on some pretrial matters. At one point the lawyers and Judge Michael Pastor went into chambers for a chit chat. While they were gone, some MJ fans were staring Murray down and giving him dirty looks.

Murray then complained to the bailiff, who walked over to the fans and made it clear -- if they do it again they'll be thrown out of the courtroom.


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Conrad Murray Jurors
The Low Down


TMZ has obtained the questionnaires from the jurors who were selected to sit in judgement of Dr. Conrad Murray in the Michael Jackson manslaughter case. Here are some highlights.

Juror #127 Mexican-American female, 54 years old, property manager, she has a daughter who was an alcohol and drug user 5 years ago, and she thinks famous people -- notably Paris, Britney and Lindsay -- are treated differently in court. She loved MJ's music as a girl.

Juror #145 White male, 45, partner in management consulting firm, wife is pediatric nurse at a hospital, he's served twice on a jury before (murder and rape cases), watched "This is It" on Netflix.

Juror #61 White female, 57, unemployed, worked in past for Red Cross, divorced, listens to NPR, followed the OJ Simpson cases, her younger brother uses drugs, served 5 times on a jury.

Juror #70 White male, 54, college professor of animation and art, created characters for motion pictures at Disney, followed OJ trial, convicted of DUI, thinks celebs are not treated the same by police and can bend rules. MJ fan.

Juror #44 Cuban/Mexican-White, watches History Channel, Pawn Stars, Sons of Anarchy and Modern Family, listens to Howard Stern, family members with alcohol addiction, served on a civil jury, fan of MJ, especially Thriller.

Juror #49 White female, 43, head of communications for international marketing firm, watches NCIS and Hawaii Five-0, and motor sports/speed channel, worked in medical marketing, juror in criminal child sexual abuse case involving incest, does not think cops are more lenient with celebs.

Juror #100 white female, 48, paralegal for 30 years, watches Big Brother, Survivor, Amazing Race, watched Casey Anthony trial, brother is an EMT, people of wealth and fame treated differently in court system.

Juror #52 Mexican male, 51, USPS letter carrier, watches Law and Order, wife is back-office medical assistant, fan of MJ.

Juror #99 Hispanic male, 42, school bus driver, father was addicted to alcohol, father-in-law died from alcohol abuse, served on a jury, MJ fan.

Juror #38 Hispanic female, 36, customer service rep, filed for bankruptcy, listens to Ryan Seacrest on radio, watched Casey Anthony trial because it involved a child, former employer is a doctor, father was an absent alcoholic, shot in a drive-by shooting in 1993, on a DUI jury, MJ fan.

Jury #128 African American male, 54, technical director for TV, cousin is a judge and another cousin who's a lawyer, his dad died of alcoholism, juror on 3 cases, loved the Jackson 5 as a kid, now likes Jay Z.

Juror #108 male "Wasp," 32, book seller, watches So You Think You Can Dance, Project Runway, girlfriend, in U.S. Army National Guard, grandparents attended AA, brother got DUI recently, thrown from a horse once, juror in civil trial, trained actor, MJ fan.


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Trial of Michael Jackson's doctor begins as jury is set
By Alan Duke, CNN
September 24, 2011


Los Angeles (CNN) -- Prosecutors want jurors in Dr. Conrad Murray's involuntary manslaughter trial to hear testimony about investigators' failed efforts to question the doctor in the weeks after Michael Jackson's death.
Defense lawyers have asked the judge to block the testimony, arguing it "would create substantial danger of undue prejudice, undue waste of time, confuse the issues, or mislead the jury."
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor may consider the issue at a hearing Monday morning, a day before opening statements are delivered in Murray's trial.
The selection of a jury Friday officially began the Murray's trial, which is expected to continue until the end of October.
Experts key in trial of Jackson's doctor Michael Jackson fans kicked out of court
The defense argued in a court filing Friday that the prosecution ignored Dr. Murray's "willingness to engage in various conversations and to take part in lengthy interviews conducted by law enforcement and medical personnel," including two days after Jackson's death when he voluntarily spent two hours answering police questions.
"In fact, it was only after Dr. Murray learned that information was 'anonymously' leaked to the public that Dr. Murray decided to invoke his right to remain silent," the defense said.
A prosecution filing detailed email and phone mail attempts by the county coroner and a police detective to request meetings with Murray after the first interview.
"In actuality, law enforcement never contacted Dr. Murray during this time," the defense filing said. "Law enforcement's 'efforts' consisted merely of a handful of unanswered voice mails and emails that were left with Dr. Murray's counsel and with his office. There is no indication whatsoever that Dr. Murray acted evasively."
Twelve jurors and five alternates will report to court Tuesday morning to hear opening statements in the case against Murray. A sixth alternate juror was dismissed just minutes after she was sworn in Friday.
Judge Pastor sealed the reason for her dismissal, but court spectators overheard the woman acknowledging that she had dealings with one of Murray's lawyers several years ago. She failed to mention that during the jury selection process, but a man who had just been dismissed as a prospective juror gave the information to court officials.
"It seems like a good jury panel," defense lawyer Michael Flanagan said after the jury was seated Friday.
The jury consists of seven men and five women, include six who are white, five who listed their ethnicity as Mexican or hispanic and one who identified himself as African-American.
Flanagan said the defense paid little attention to juror's ethnicity, but instead focused on their answers to the 32-page jury questionnaire.
The court released copies of their answers late Friday, giving a glimpse at the 12 Los Angeles County residents who will decide Murray's fate.
Three of the women said they followed the Casey Anthony trial over the summer. Defense lawyers unsuccessfully used the Anthony case to argue that Murray jurors should be sequestered in a hotel during the trial to shelter them from media reports.
One juror, a retired cartoon animator, said he once met Michael Jackson.
Several jurors described themselves as Michael Jackson fans and two have seen "This Is It," the documentary of Jackson's rehearsals just before his death.
They and their fellow jurors will see clips from the film again since the prosecution is expected to show them during the first day of the trial Tuesday.
Murray could face up to four years in prison if the jury finds him guilty.
The Los Angeles coroner has ruled that Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol combined with other drugs.
Prosecutors have accused Murray, who served as Jackson's personal and full-time physician at the time, of having a role in the overdose.
They contend Murray used a makeshift intravenous drip to administer propofol intended to help Jackson sleep, a practice they argue violated the standard of care and led to the pop music icon's death.

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Michael Jackson's final hours: a timeline
Here is a timeline of the final days and hours of pop icon Michael Jackson
AFPPublished: 14:13 September 25, 2011

LOS ANGELES: Here is a timeline of the final days and hours of pop icon Michael Jackson, although the chronology is likely to be challenged during the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray.
It is drawn from an affidavit filed in July 2009 backing a request for a warrant to search the Houston premises of Murray, Jackson's doctor who goes on trial for involuntary manslaughter on Tuesday.

Murray's lawyer has questioned the accuracy of the information in the affidavit, which relates to events at Jackson's rented Holmby Hills estate where he was staying while rehearsing for a series of London comeback shows.

Two days after Jackson's death, Murray told police he had been treating the singer for the last six weeks, giving him 50 milligrams propofol (also known as Diprivan), diluted with lidocaine every night via intravenous drip.

Article continues below

June 22: feeling that Jackson was becoming addicted to propofol, Murray gave him only 25 milligrams of the drug, combined with lorazepam and midazolam. Jackson was able to sleep with them.

June 23: Murray gave Jackson only lorazepam and midazolam, without propofol. The singer was able to sleep.

June 25, 1:30 am: gave Jackson a 10-milligram tablet of Valium (diazepam), but Jackson could not sleep.
2:00 am: injected Jackson with 2 milligrams of lorazepam via IV, but still the singer could not sleep.
3:00 am: gave 2 milligrams of midazolam via IV. Jackson still could not sleep.
5:00 am: another 2 milligrams of lorazepam via IV. The star was still awake.
7:30 am: another 2 milligrams of midazolam via IV.
Murray said he was constantly at Jackson's bedside, and was monitoring his pulse and oxygen levels via a pulse oximeter attached to his finger.
10:40 am: with Jackson still unable to sleep, Murray finally administered 25 mg of Propofol diluted with lidocaine, after repeated requests from the singer.

Jackson finally went to sleep. Murray said he continued to monitor him, but after 10 minutes went to the bathroom to relieve himself. The doctor said he was out of the room for two minutes at the most.
when he returned, he noticed that Jackson was not breathing.
began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately, administered 2 milligrams of flumanezil and called Jackson's personal assistant Michael Amir Williams on his cellphone, asking for him to send security upstairs for an emergency.

after a few minutes, when no one came, Murray left Jackson and went downstairs to the kitchen, where he asked the chef to send Jackson's eldest son Prince Michael upstairs. He then returned to continue giving Jackson CPR.

Jackson's son arrived and called for security. The singer's bodyguard Albert Alvarez tried to help Murray, and called 911 on his cellphone.
the exact sequences of events remains unclear, but at 11:18 am, Murray made the first of three calls spanning 47 minutes on his cell phone.

pre-trial hearings in January heard the calls, including one to cocktail waitress Sade Anding, who said that while on the phone to Murray, she heard "a commotion... coughing, mumbling of voices" in the background.

12:22 pm: LA Fire Department responded to the emergency 911 call.
Paramedics arrived and helped transport Jackson to the UCLA Medical Center. At least one of them, Martin Blount, told January hearings that Jackson appeared dead when they arrived, with cold skin and fixed and dilated eyes.

The singer was rushed to hospital, but was not pronounced dead until 2:46 pm - by which time the world's media was already hot on the trail of Jackson's shock demise.


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September 25, 2011 12:01 PM
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Michael Jackson saw salvation in dangerous drug

(AP) LOS ANGELES — Michael Jackson was physically exhausted from a day of grueling rehearsals for his marathon 50-night comeback tour. But his nightly battle with insomnia had just begun. After showering and getting into bed, he called for his "milk," a powerful drug he had been using to escape into unconsciousness.

Jackson saw the anesthetic known as propofol as his salvation. On June 25, 2009, it became the King of Pop's death potion.

How he overdosed in his mansion on a drug intended for hospital use is at the center of the manslaughter trial this week of the doctor he hired to be his highly paid personal physician for the "This is It" tour.

Testimony about the drug is expected to dominate the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray, a Houston cardiologist who has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles Superior Court.

The prosecution claims Murray was grossly negligent in giving Jackson propofol at home without proper lifesaving equipment available and then left the room long enough to find his patient not breathing when he returned.

His defense team claims the singer, desperate for sleep, swallowed an additional dose of the drug when his doctor was out of the room.

Getting to the truth of it will come down to sometimes technical testimony from an array of medical experts, pathologists and even the police officers and paramedics who inspected Murray's equipment in the bedroom where Jackson went into cardiac arrest.

The defense theory, based on evidence that a trace amount of propofol — .13 milligrams — was found in Jackson's stomach, may be a hard sell.

The drug is administered intravenously, usually during surgery. Scientific witnesses may be asked to explain how it could have gotten into his stomach. Some doctors say ingesting it orally is almost unheard of.

"It's an odd, on-the-edge defense theory," said Dr. Gil Tepper, chief of staff at Miracle Mile Medical Center in Los Angeles. "It would not put you to sleep and it would move through the system very rapidly, causing awful diarrhea."

There are few authoritative studies and few statistics on deaths caused by the drug. It remains uncertain if the judge will allow a Chilean doctor's study of students who voluntarily drank the drug or a study of pigs who received it rectally.

The prosecution has a key expert witness, as well as forensic experts from the Los Angeles County coroner's office who are considered at the top of the field.

The defense boasts an advantage in one of its lawyers, J. Michael Flanagan, who says he is the only California attorney ever to try a propofol death case.

Flanagan represented one of a pair of nurses charged with killing a cancer patient who died after propofol was allegedly given without proper authorization by an anesthesiologist. Flanagan's client was acquitted and the other nurse pleaded no contest to a lesser charge.

Abuse of the drug is said to occur among medical professionals but rarely among patients.

In anesthesia, propofol is known as something of a wonder drug. Tepper said it's ideal for short term procedures such as colonoscopies or cataract surgery. Patients report feeling energized when they come out of it and there is no grogginess.

"But it's absolutely not recommended as a sleep aid," said Tepper. "You would never reach restful sleep and you would have to have constant monitoring."

In a hospital setting, Tepper said the doctor would have heart and blood oxygenation monitors as well as surgical equipment to do intubation if the patient stops breathing. Witnesses have said no such equipment was in Jackson's bedroom.

"It's a very dangerous drug," said Dr. Mark Schlesinger, head of anesthesiology at Hackensack University Medical Hospital in New Jersey, who said he has administered it thousands of times in his 25-year career. "The difference between unconsciousness and no longer breathing is a very slim margin of safety."

In the hands of a trained anesthesiologist, he added: "It's a wonderful drug and a very safe drug. It's not the drug that kills somebody. It's the way it is used."

Murray was not the first doctor to give Jackson the drug as a sleep aid, although others have not been publicly named.

Jackson's reliance on propofol was first disclosed to The Associated Press days after Jackson's death. Cherilyn Lee, a nurse nutritionist who treated Jackson with vitamins, said he pleaded unsuccessfully with her to get the drug he knew as Diprivan. He said his doctor told him it was safe and he described falling asleep as soon as the drug dripped from an IV into his vein.

"I said, 'Michael, the only problem with you taking this medication,' and I had a chill in my body and tears in my eyes ... , "'You're going to take it and you're not going to wake up.'"

Lee, who said she treated him from January to April 2009, is on the trial witness list. She said she never saw Jackson use other drugs.

"He wasn't looking to get high or feel good and sedated from drugs," she said. "This was a person who was not on drugs. This was a person who was seeking help, desperately, to get some sleep, to get some rest."

Murray, who had been consulted by Jackson in his Las Vegas office, was promised $150,000 a month when he signed on as Jackson's personal physician six weeks before he died. He closed the doors of his offices there and in Houston to devote himself to the singer.

An autopsy report showed that Jackson was generally healthy, indicating his key problem was insomnia. Murray has told police he administered other drugs known as benzodiazepines, which are also used as sleep aids. But when they did not work, Jackson demanded propofol.

Murray told police he was trying to wean him from the drug and gave him a minimal dosage, then left the room for five minutes to use the bathroom. However, cell phone records suggest he was making phone calls for a longer time. His actions after he found Jackson not breathing are also central to the case.

In the two years since Jackson died, doctors have been known to refer to propofol as "The Michael Jackson drug." Some fear a backlash for its use.

Dr. Lawrence Koblinksy, head of forensic science at John Jay College in New York, said the situation of a famous man demanding propofol is an anomaly and should not cast doubt on its effectiveness in hospitals.

"If you have a drug that is wonderful, just because a celebrity dies doesn't mean you take it off the market," he said.


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Michael Jackson death: Choreographer Ortega to be first witness
September 26, 2011 | 12:50 pm


Famed choreographer Kenny Ortega will be the first witness to take the stand at the trial of Michael Jackson’s doctor, a prosecutor said Monday.

Ortega, famed for “Dirty Dancing” and “High School Musical,” was the co-creator and co-director of the “This Is It” comeback concerts Jackson was preparing for at the time of his death. In a hearing earlier this year Ortega said the singer’s personal physician, Conrad Murray, assured him that Jackson was healthy enough to perform and even scolded him for canceling rehearsals when Jackson seemed weak.

“Dr. Murray told me that this was not my responsibility and asked me to not act like a doctor or psychologist ... and leave Michael's health to him," Ortega said.

Prosecutors contend that at the time Murray brushed off Ortega and other concert executives, he was giving Jackson nightly doses of the surgical anesthetic on which the singer later overdosed. In comments to a judge Monday, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Walgren said he planned to summon witnesses in a chronological order leading up to and then following Jackson’s death.

Full coverage: Trial of Conrad Murray

Ortega is to be followed to the stand by Paul Gongaware, who worked for Jackson’s concert promoter, AEG Live. Gongaware, according to another prosecutor, will also testify about conversations with Murray and Jackson.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Deborah Brazil said Gongaware would testify about a meeting in which he and other AEG officials “were sharing their concerns with the defendant concerning Mr. Jackson’s health.”

Murray, 58, stands accused of involuntary manslaughter. His trial begins with opening statements Tuesday and is expected to last about five weeks.

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Michael Jackson's Kids Prince & Paris Want To Testify In Manslaughter Trial


By Dylan Howard
Senior Executive Editor, Star

& Jen Heger

Radar Legal Editor

Michael Jackson's two eldest children, Prince Michael and Paris, have told their grandmother Katherine they want to testify in the manslaughter trial of the doctor accused of killing the pop superstar with an overdose of a powerful anesthetic, RadarOnline.com has exclusively learned.

A Jackson family insider said: "Katherine is resisting the move, because she knows how traumatic it would be for them, but both Prince Michael and Paris have said they want to tell the jury what they saw on the day their father died."

RadarOnline.com has learned the King of Pop's sister LaToya has privately declared her support of the children's stance to take the witness stand against Dr. Conrad Murray.

PHOTOS: Michael Jackson Through The Years

Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the Thriller singer's death on June 25, 2009, at age 50.

"Both LaToya and Katherine agree, however, that Blanket should not testify as he is too young," the source said.

"Prince and Paris are determined to take the stand, though. Ultimately, I don't believe Katherine will deny them that chance, even though she doesn't want them to and has told them so. The kids have said they don't want their father's legacy to be tarnished by the trial and they believe their evidence will help convict Doctor Murray.

PHOTOS: Stage Shots of Michael Jackson Performing

"LaToya has said it would be good for the children to, 'Get what is inside them, out of them.' She feels it is a way for them to release the hurt. Above all though, she believes her brother was murdered and what Prince Michael and Paris could tell the jury, would inevitably help convict the doctor."

A second source close to the legal proceedings confirmed to RadarOnline.com they too had been told Prince Michael and Paris wanted to testify, but predicted only one of them would be called -- and only if "things were going bad" in the trial for prosecutors.

Prince Michael, Paris and Blanket were all included on a potential witness list passed out to the jurors in an attempt to ascertain their familiarity with the family. Also listed were siblings Janet, LaToya, Jermaine, Marlon, Rebbie, Tito and Randy as well as parents Katherine and Joe Jackson.

Jermaine Jackson On Joe’s Discipline, Plan To Smuggle Michael To Mid East & More

If the teenage star witnesses were called, it could be problematic for prosecutors, who have said Murray caused Jackson's death by giving him the powerful anesthetic propofol as a sleep aid at the singer's Los Angeles mansion and not properly monitoring him.

As the source close to the Jackson clan has said: "Prince and Paris adored Doctor Murray and thought he was a God send for their father. It was only after their father's death that they formed a subsequent opinion of him. Both Prince and Paris could take the stand and wind up providing evidence which supports the doctor."

Another source familiar with the inner workings of the legal case said the children could be cross examined about whether their father had long-standing drug addictions.

PHOTOS: Stars Who OD’d

That source said: "After saying goodbye to her dad at the hospital, Paris is said to have remarked, 'My daddy is so cold again. He was always cold. He would sit by the fire to get warm. We were always afraid he would fall in as he was so close to the flames. He couldn't get warm. Now there he is... so cold.'

"Prince and Paris knew their dad relied on Dr. Murray to survive and knew their father adored him. Their comments could save him from jail because it would work well in the eyes of a jury."

The Jackson family insider said Prince Michael, if he testifies, would tell court how he walked into his father’s bedroom in the middle of his doctor’s doomed attempts to revive him.

PHOTOS: Katherine Jackson Holds Memorial For King Of Pop In His Hometown

Murray has insisted Prince Michael and Paris were bundled from the room after the star’s daughter burst into tears and screamed ‘Daddy’.

Murray -- who was hired as the late singer's personal doctor to assist Jackson in preparing for a series of planned comeback concerts in London -- has pled not guilty to involuntary manslaughter.

Dr. Conrad Murray WILL Take The Stand In Michael Jackson Death Trial

Opening statements are scheduled to begin Tuesday before Judge Michael Pastor in Los Angeles Superior Court.

A jury of seven men and five women was selected last week.

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Dr Conrad Murray faces jury over Michael Jackson death
By Peter Bowes
BBC News, Los Angeles



More than two years after Michael Jackson's sudden death, the singer's personal physician is to stand trial on Tuesday. Dr Conrad Murray, 58, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter. If convicted, the maximum sentence is four years in prison.

It was a hot midsummer day in Los Angeles on 25 June, 2009. Hollywood was mourning the loss of the actress Farrah Fawcett, as fans and celebrities paid tribute to the TV star, who had died from cancer, aged 62.

But that day will be remembered for another, altogether unexpected death and for the extraordinary outpouring of grief it provoked.

Pop star Michael Jackson, a month shy of his 51st birthday, was rushed to hospital and pronounced dead, his brother Jermaine confirming the news to stunned fans in a hastily-arranged press conference.

Jackson had recently stepped back into the limelight. He was rehearsing at the Staples Centre arena in Los Angeles for This Is It, his hugely anticipated concert series, which was due to start at the O2 in London on 13 July.

The night before his death, he worked until after midnight. The next day, shortly after noon, he was discovered unconscious in his bedroom by his physician Dr Conrad Murray.


Dr Conrad Murray faces up to four years in prison if convicted
What happened in the time between those two events remains a mystery.

At a preliminary hearing, several witnesses gave detailed accounts of the frenzied activity at Jackson's home after the singer was found to be unresponsive.

The singer's death, according to the Los Angeles County Coroner, was a homicide caused by "acute Propofol intoxication." Propofol is a sedative that is normally used in hospitals to induce or maintain anaesthesia during surgical procedures.

But it will be up to a jury to decide whether the actions of Dr Murray, during the frantic efforts to revive the singer and in the hours before, caused his death.

"We're finally going to get a full airing of all the facts," says Steven Cron, a legal analyst.

"In order to be guilty of a crime one has to be grossly negligent, not just minimally negligent, and that's what they're trying to prove," says Mr Cron.

Dr Murray has strongly defended himself against the charge of involuntary manslaughter. He has insisted that nothing he did should have killed Jackson.

"I think the forensic evidence is going to be really important," says Mr Cron.

"There were only two people in the room and one of them is no longer with us. The other is accused."

Media interest
The jury will hear testimony from dozens of witnesses, including some of those who were first on the scene, such as Jackson's security guards and paramedics. Experts will also be called upon to answer questions about Propofol, which will be at the heart of the case.

It has been suggested by Dr Murray's lawyers that the publicity surrounding the case could rise to the levels seen during the murder trial of the former American footballer-turned movie actor OJ Simpson in 1995.

But the judge has refused a request to have the jury sequestered, or confined to a hotel, to shield them from outside influences, as they were during the Simpson trial.


Jermaine Jackson said he is prepared for a media "circus"
Instead, Judge Michael Pastor has advised them not to "read, listen to or watch any news report or any other commentary about this case from any source" and to "keep an open mind throughout".

"I think the Conrad Murray trial will be the trial of the year [but] it will not be the trial of the century," says Linda Deutsch, a special correspondent with the Associated Press, and a veteran reporter at high profile cases in California.

While the defendant, Dr Murray, is not a celebrity, the trial will receive global attention because the alleged victim is Jackson, the superstar who is still worshipped by fans around the world.

The proceedings, like the Simpson trial, will be televised.

Media outlets from around the world have already set up makeshift studios near the court building. Jackson fans are expected to line the street. There will be a lottery every morning to allocate seats in the public gallery.

"The fact that it is Michael Jackson puts an entirely different profile on this case… Michael Jackson was a fascinating man and he still fascinates even in death," says Ms Deutsch.

The singer's parents and famous siblings are all expected to make an appearance at LA's Criminal Court building, taking it in turns to fill the eight seats the family has been allocated in the courtroom.

Jackson's three children will not attend the trial.

"We're ready," says his brother Jermaine Jackson, "We're always ready for whatever. We've been raised and taught to take it as it comes."

"I'll be strong. Very, very strong - because I know when the system works for you and I know when it works against you," he adds.

"I know the truth and I'm prepared for a circus."

Judge Pastor has estimated that the trial, up to the point that the jury starts its deliberations, will last for five weeks.

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Jurors won't see Jackson's 'This Is It' announcement, judge rules
By Alan Duke, CNN
September 26, 2011 -- Updated 2012 GMT (0412 HKT)


Los Angeles (CNN) -- Although the judge has limited what Dr. Conrad Murray's lawyers can argue about Michael Jackson's health and state of mind in the months before his death, the defense will "put on a good case," one of Murray's lawyers said Monday.
Jurors will hear opening statements and the first witnesses Tuesday in the trial of Michael Jackson's doctor, who is charged with involuntary manslaughter in the pop icon's death.
Murray's lawyers will not be allowed to show video of Jackson's March 2009 announcement of his "This Is It" concerts in London, Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor ruled Monday.
The video would show jurors' "Michael Jackson's state of mind and demeanor" and support the testimony by his makeup artist that Jackson was furious the number of scheduled shows was increased from the initial 10 to 50, defense lawyer Nareg Gourjian told the judge.
The London announcement was delayed 90 minutes "because Michael Jackson was passed out and could not get off the sofa," Gourjian said.
Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney David Walgren objected to the video, arguing that evidence about Jackson's mental and physical condition four months before his June 25, 2009, death is not relevant.
Defense lawyer Michael Flanagan, talking to reporters after the hearing, said prosecution and defense witnesses will testify about Jackson's failing health for several months before his death.
"It didn't just develop the last few days before he died," Flanagan said.
The defense argued the March video would have helped jurors see Jackson's ill health for themselves.
The case against Conrad Murray Jurors seated in MJ death trial
Pastor agreed with the prosecution and denied the defense request to use the video in the trial.
"We've got witnesses that saw what we're trying to prove," Flanagan said. "We would like to have a recording of exactly what was going on."
The first prosecution witness Tuesday is expected to be Kenny Ortega, who was the producer of Jackson's "This Is It" shows. Flanagan suggested he would offer evidence of Jackson's ill health when cross-examined by defense lawyers.
The judge's rejection of the defense request, along with earlier rulings limiting what Murray's attorneys could present in their defense, are just a fact they have to deal with, he said.
"I don't think anybody's putting on exactly the case they want to present," Flanagan said. "There are rules of evidence we have to comply with. We're going to do the best we can with the rules that are put down on us, and we'll put on a good case."
Pastor denied the prosecution's request Monday to tell jurors about investigators' failed efforts to re-interview Murray in the weeks after Jackson's death. He did meet with them two days after Jackson's death, but the prosecution wanted to show later e-mail and phone voice mail attempts by the county coroner and a police detective to request meetings with Murray.
Pastor ruled that there were "too many variables in phone calls that are being placed" and the efforts to re-interview Murray were not face-to-face communications.
The judge indicated he may rethink that decision if the defense argues during the trial that police did not do a thorough investigation of Jackson's death.
"Dr. Murray gave a full statement to police, stayed there for two and a half hours, answered every question they asked," Flanagan said. "What's he supposed to do -- that on a daily basis?"
Twelve jurors and five alternates will report to court Tuesday morning to hear opening statements in the case against Murray. A sixth alternate juror was dismissed just minutes after she was sworn in Friday.
"It seems like a good jury panel," Flanagan said after the jury was seated Friday.
The jury consists of seven men and five women, including six who are white, five who listed their ethnicity as Mexican or Hispanic and one who identified himself as African-American.
Flanagan said the defense paid little attention to jurors' ethnicity, but instead focused on their answers to the 32-page jury questionnaire.
The court released copies of their answers late Friday, giving a glimpse at the 12 Los Angeles County residents who will decide Murray's fate.
Three of the women said they followed the Casey Anthony trial over the summer. Defense lawyers unsuccessfully used the Anthony case to argue that Murray jurors should be sequestered in a hotel during the trial to shelter them from media reports.
One juror, a retired cartoon animator, said he once met Michael Jackson.
Several jurors described themselves as Jackson fans and two have seen "This Is It," the documentary of Jackson's rehearsals just before his death.
They and their fellow jurors will see clips from the film again since the prosecution is expected to show them during the first day of the trial Tuesday.
Murray could face up to four years in prison if the jury finds him guilty.
The Los Angeles coroner has ruled that Jackson's death on June 25, 2009, was caused by an overdose of the surgical anesthetic propofol combined with other drugs.
Prosecutors have accused Murray, who served as Jackson's personal and full-time physician at the time, of having a role in the overdose.
They contend Murray used a makeshift intravenous drip to administer propofol intended to help Jackson sleep, a practice they argue violated the standard of care and led to the pop music icon's death.


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Michael Jackson death: Judge rejects bid to show video
September 26, 2011 | 10:35 am

A day before opening statements in the trial of Michael Jackson’s personal physician, a judge ruled jurors will not see video of the pop star’s final news conference.

Lawyers for Dr. Conrad Murray had argued that the footage showed Jackson “under the influence” in public three months before his death and that it established the singer had agreed to a comeback concert series of just 10 “This Is It” shows and not the 50 ultimately scheduled.

But Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor noted Jackson never mentioned the number of shows in the video and said that it was irrelevant to how he died, the issue at Murray’s trial.

“The proposed evidence is not relevant to what may or may not have happened on June 25, 2009, or shortly beforehand,” Pastor said.

The judge also ruled that prosecutors cannot tell jurors that investigators made four unsuccessful attempts to re-interview Murray.
The physician and his lawyer met with police for a lengthy interview two days after Jackson died, but an e-mail and phone calls to the attorney and Murray’s office were not returned.

Pastor said it was not clear whether Murray ever received the requests.

The 58-year-old cardiologist faces four years in prison and the possible loss of his medical license if convicted of involuntary manslaughter.

Prosecutors contend he grossly violated medical norms by providing Jackson with propofol, a surgical anesthetic, at his home.

The defense maintains Jackson dosed himself.

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